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A melancholy breeze wavered over Shibuya— a breeze that brought about an air of change. Change that sought to disrupt Tokyo forever. But, its people paid the winds no mind, as they continued to go to work, roam the streets, and prepare for the oncoming halloween.
Choso stood near a river, with a row of stone railings. Behind him, a quiet restaurant. One that prided itself on serving ramen. The warming scent of miso soup, sometimes chicken or beef, was comforting to him. Nostalgic, almost— despite never eating any himself.
He stared into the river below, his eyes trailing the things that floated down the stream— fallen, orange leaves. Tiny, rounded bottle caps, and sometimes the empty bottles they belonged to. Disposable tissues. It all bobbed in the water, floating away and out of his view.
He continued to watch, until he heard the click-clack of footsteps approaching from behind. Other people strolled past him, but this person strode towards him. He lifted his gaze from the river, and glanced behind him. Upon witnessing the owner of the footsteps, his eyes widened a little bit. Choso turned his head around fully.
It was you— a random stranger he’d met not too long ago. He let his eyes soften, returning back to their droopy look.
“Oh. It’s you again,” he mumbled.
You waved with a grin, striding over to him.
“Hey, Choso. Happy to see me?”
“Hm. I wouldn’t say that … but, I’m not unhappy, either.” His eyes drifted back to the river.
You followed his gaze, taking a small step forward so that you stood right next to him. A sigh dropped from your lips.
“So, it looks like you’re the same as ever.”
“I suppose so.”
“Just ‘passing the time’ as usual?”
“Yeah.”
“And already prepared for halloween, I see.”
Choso turned his head towards you, one eyebrow raised. “Halloween … ? What’s that?”
“You … you seriously don’t know? Halloween— it’s tomorrow. Y’know, where folks get together, wear creepy costumes, get candy and have fun.”
“ Is that so … ” Choso paused. After a few seconds, he shook his head and his eyebrows drooped back down. “Well, no. This is just how I normally dress. Do I look creepy?”
“Oh— I-I didn’t mean it like that— sorry.”
He shook his head again. “It’s fine. If anything, I’m used to words like that by now.”
“Huuuh? Some people … they don’t know what they’re talking about! I don’t find you creepy,” you rebutted, patting his shoulder. Choso shuffled a bit in place at the sudden physical contact, but remained rooted at his spot.
He murmured a small, “Mhm, I know.”
An awkward silence followed— neither of you speaking up for what seemed like ages. Sounds of shuffling shoes, countless conversations and the soft whistle of the wind blowing filled the air.
Your talks with Choso often went this route— a few tidbits of small talk here and there, mixed in with a dash of collective quietness between you two. It’d been like this since you spotted him at this place. Choso didn’t mind the attention, nor did he seem to dislike it. Instead he grew used to it, and you got to know him that way.
He’d already brought his gaze back down to the river again. Yours darted around as you racked your brain for a new topic. Not one thing came to mind, until an idea popped up.
“ … Not even a little chilly in that getup?” You nudged his shoulder with a soft chuckle.
“Not really,” Choso replied flatly. “I have my own means of keeping warm.”
“Huh … if you say so.” You tilted your head at his comment, looking at him up and down. The white robe and purple vest that he wore didn’t look like it offered much protection from the cold. The ends of the fabric flapped loosely in the wind. A round scarf lay wrapped around his neck, but it too, appeared thin and flimsy.
Choso watched you from the corner of his eye. “Are you worried about me?”
“… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. Just a little, though.”
“Don’t be. I’m not cold at all, but … “ He observed your own outfit. You wore a simple, loose black sweater with a pumpkin pattern on it— along with purple pants and black boots. Unlike all the other people he came across, all covered up in thick coats and puffy scarves, your clothing seemed rather … underprepared.
He frowned ever so slightly. “I’d worry more about yourself.
“Me? I’m fi—“ A small squeak from your voicebox cut you off as a gust of wind smacked you in the face. It shut you up in an instant. Shivers ran up your spine. All the fine hairs on your body rose up. You brought your arms up and wrapped them around your body instinctively. “—g-guess I underestimated the weather today, haha … “
Choso hummed in response, continuing to observe your shivering form. “Guess so. Not much you can do about it now.”
“I-I could go home … or go to that r-ramen place behind us.”
“Then, why not go?”
“It’s m-more fun to hang out with y-you. You’re a chill guy. It’s nice to chill with you, e-even if you don’t talk a whole lot. T-That’s … w-why.”
Choso grumbled, leaning his arms down onto the stone railing. “It’s not like I’m asking you to stay. You don’t need to suffer in the cold because of me. I’m fine on my own.”
“I could, but I-I won’t. It’s just n-not right to leave you in your l-l-lonesome.”
“… Tch. You’re weird.”
You chuckled, “N-Nothing weird about wanting to hang out with a … f-f friend.”
Friend. That word brought Choso’s slow moving mind to a stilted halt. He widened his eyes at your comment, letting his jaw drop a little. “Friend … ?”
“Y-Yeah! We’re friends, r-right?” your eyes, despite your now jittery body, shone with a bright, trusting glow as you looked at him. Choso’s remained wide open, as he only stared at you in disbelief.
With the things he had been doing— the activities he had been up with Suguru Geto and his cohort of curses— never did he consider he’d ever hear such things from someone. A non-sorcerer, no less.
Choso leaned off the railings, letting his eyes return to their usual, gloomy look; except, his pupils appeared much softer than sharp. He locked his gaze with yours. “You consider me a … friend?“
“Yes, o-of course!”
“Hm,” was all he said, gazing off into the distance, and looking back at you.
“Okay. Then, I’ll return the favor. Here. Come closer.”
“H-Huh … ? Why?”
“To hug you. If you’re going to stay … you should at least keep warm. I can help with that.”
“Oh? A-Are you sure? I-I don’t want you to get cold because of m-me.”
“I already told you— I’m not cold. I’m far from it,” he mumbled, lifting his hand up, “touch my hand and feel for yourself.”
“Okay … “
You reached your own hand up to Choso’s, drawing one finger to poke at his skin. You let out a tiny gasp. The icy chill that bit at your fingertip vanished. Instead it was replaced by a radiant heat that warmed up your entire finger.
He made a slight smile. “See?”
“W-Woah— how’d you … how?” You pulled your hand away, before gasping again. “Don’t tell me— you’re not sick, are you?”
Any trace of the smile he had disappeared. He sighed, “No, I’m not.”
“Then how? My hands are freezing to death here!”
The answer was simple—Blood Manipulation. The innate ability to shape and control one’s own blood, both internally and externally. With this technique, one could alter their blood composition, blood flow, and even body temperature. Thanks to this technique, Choso kept himself toasty and warm without the need for a winter coat.
“You could say it’s a certain technique of mine, is all. One that can’t be taught. Do you still want the hug, or not? It’s up to you.”
“Ah … you know what? Yes. T-That would be nice! I really don’t wanna catch another cold before H-Halloween… “
“Alright … Turn around and step back towards me.” Choso opened up his arms. You slowly obliged, spinning around so that your back faced him. You took one step back. Still shivering from the icy bite of the wind. And with that, he cradled his arms around your body, pulling you into an embrace.
You gasped. It was warm. Much cozier than you anticipated. Not even a few minutes passed as Choso hugged you, and any cold chills plaguing your body simply melted away. The fabric of his robe blanketed you and shielded you away from any oncoming wind. You let yourself lean backward a little, your back just brushing his chest.
A gruff rumbling echoed through him as he cleared his throat to speak. “Do you feel any warmer now?” he asked.
“Yeah, plenty!”
“Good.” Choso shuffled himself so that you were closer to him, and so that you were both still facing the river.
“Y’know, it’s almost like you’re a human water bottle or something!”
“You’d say it’s that effective?”
“Yes—all the chills in my body are gone, just like that! I could really use a technique like yours,” you mused. “How come you can’t teach me anyway? Is it a secret?”
“No. But it’s … something only others like me can do.”
“Ooh, what kind of people? C’mon, throw me a bone here. You’re making me curious.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere for a while. Gimme the rundown!”
“You’re really persistent. It’s annoying,” Choso grumbled, before letting out a defeated sigh. “Blood Manipulation.”
“Uh … Blood … Manipulation?”
“Yes. It allows me to control every ounce of blood in my body. I can use it to raise my body temperature, like now.”
“Woah. Okay— that sounds… freaking awesome!“
“Thank you,” he chuckled, “but, I wouldn’t say it’s that impressive. I can do far more than that.”
“Really—? You mean there’s more? Cool! Like what? Can you shoot blood missiles, make blood lassos and stuff?”
“Hm. You’re not too far off,” Choso replied with another proud chuckle. “Convergence. Piercing blood. Supernova. Those are the names of just a few of my techniques.”
“Woah! Could you— could you show me right now? Please?” You shuffled a little bit, turning your head to look at him with pleading eyes. Choso nodded.
“Maybe another time, if I feel like it.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Alright.”
You nodded, and turned your head back to the riverside. Choso only scoffed. “I could be lying, and yet you trust me so easily.”
“Well, we’re friends! That’s reason enough for me. Also … there’s no human on Earth that can stay warm by doing nothing.”
“Fair enough.”
Choso nuzzled his head deeper into his scarf, allowing himself to get comfortable, too. He shut his eyes and lowered his breathing to a whisper. Hugging you put his senses to rest. Even so, something still stirred inside his mind. The smell of miso soup. That sensation of nostalgia again. His eyes peeled open again, this time half-opened and slightly narrower. “Hey.”
You perked your ears up at his voice. “Ah—yeah, Choso?”
“I’ve got a question.”
“Oh? That’s a first! What’s up?”
“Do you … happen to have any brothers? Or sisters?”
“Yeah, actually— I’ve got a brother and a sister. How’d you guess?”
Choso shrugged. “Just a gut feeling. What are they like? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Hmm … I guess they’re a lot of things. Funny. Helpful. Annoying, sometimes downright insufferable. But, caring. We all help each other out!”
He nodded. “ I see. It sounds like you love them.”
You hummed back in response, finding yourself lost in your train of thought.
In earnest, you had a pretty humble life of solitude. Not far off from where you stood, laid your apartment home. But even so, you and your siblings looked out for each other.
Your sister, meek but motherly. She’d be the one to spoil you with food, drinks and other gifts on visiting occasions. She worked as a caretaker. Your brother, the eldest. Proud and resilient. He worked a busy job as a lawyer, but still watched over you both with an eagle eye. The three of you, raised in a tight and secure family household, shared a deep, unbreakable bond.
Playful memories of partaking in hide and seek. Watching cartoons in the early mornings of the weekends. Comforting each other when you needed it. All of these events locked away in a past you could only reminisce on.
You hummed again, nodding your head this time. “Yeah, I do! I’m the youngest, so I get babied over quite a lot.”
“Rightfully so. That is their responsibility, after all.”
“You make it sound like you’ve got siblings, too.”
“I do. Eight of them.”
“Ah, eight— wait, eight siblings!?”
Choso gave a proud nod. “That’s right. Kechizu, Noranso, Eso, Sho-oso, Tanso, Shoso, Sanso, and Kotsuso. All of them are my younger brothers. Is eight an odd number of siblings to have?”
You frowned a little. It wasn’t so much that the number confused you— rather, the names. They sounded unlike anything you’ve heard before. Instead of trying to think about it any longer, you dismissed the thought with a shake of your head.
“No, but it’s not everyday you hear someone say that,” you replied. “You’re the eldest, then?”
“Yes.”
“I think that they’re very lucky to have such a caring older brother.”
“I should be the lucky one for having their support. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. As the oldest, my greatest role in life is to be a beacon for my brothers to follow. All my mistakes, my shortcomings, my achievements and accomplishments … are for them to take note of. I’d want nothing more.”
“Awe, that’s really sweet of you!”
“ … Thanks,” He replied, his voice trailing off into a faint, solemn whisper.
You swayed your head behind you, a slight frown forming on your face. “Choso? You okay?”
Choso kept his eyes glued to the river. A headless action figure bobbed up and down the water, the ripples traveling to another figure– one that was twisted from the waist down. He shut his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.
“Eso and Kechizu … They passed away not long ago. Killed by a miscreant who goes by the name of Itadori Yuji..”
“Oh … I’m so sorry, that’s awful. They have my condolences.” Hearing his words, your head hung low.
“Thank you. It is … but, I won’t let their deaths be in vain.”
You brought your head back up, and stared at him wide-eyed. “Huh … ? H-Hey, I hope you’re not planning to do something reckless … ”
“I’m not. I can handle it, for the sake of my brothers.”
You took some time to digest the meaning of his words— did he mean to mourn? Those last few words carried a darker, vengeful tone. You looked down at the river in silence. A shiver traveled down your spine, bringing a chill among the warmth. You might’ve become familiar with Choso, but you didn’t know him, or what he could be capable of.
It worried you.
“Is something the matter?” Choso asked. He caught on quickly to the silence, but this was the first time he’d been the one to break the ice. It broke you out of your trance as you shook your head.
“N-No, sorry, just getting lost in thought.” You swayed back to face the riverside.
“ … Alright, if you say so.” The implications in your voice told him a different story— but Choso didn’t push you for a direct answer. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change his future intentions.
Another small silence trailed on. The skies grew into a deep, dark blue. The clouds formed a gray blanket that stretched over for miles, covering the luminous rays of the moon. Voices of passer-bys drew on. Soft bubbles from the river flowed down the stream. The aroma of ramen from the shop lingered in the air, its scent savory and salted.
”Hey, Choso?”
“Yes?”
“Just— Just don’t get yourself into any trouble, okay? I’m sure the last thing your brothers would want is for you to get hurt, and I wouldn’t want to either … “
“That won’t happen. I swear by it.” He averted his gaze to the clouded moon above. “You have faith in your older sister and brother, don’t you?”
“Uh, yeah? Y-yeah, I do.”
“Then have faith in me.”
“Haha, what am I, one of your younger brothers?”
Choso scoffed, bringing his gaze back down on you.
“You? You’re nosy, annoying, loud and persistent. Yet … you’re kind and bright, like Tanso. You remind me of him.”
“Oh? Thanks, I guess—” you paused, snapping your head back to face him. “Wait– I’m not that nosy, am I?”
“Yes, very. You always come up to me whenever I’m here, asking me about things,” he mumbled.
“You never seemed to mind though.”
“Not really, no.”
“So … that’s good, right?”
“It is now.”
“Great!” You chuckled, hugging his arms closer to you. Choso made an inaudible gasp, his brows raising up at the affectionate action. He settled into it pretty quickly, a slight smile forming on his face. The two allowed for another silence to fill the cold winter breeze.
It wasn’t until the ding-dong of a bell echoed in the distance. The clock struck 12.
Midnight. It was now officially October 31st. Halloween.
“Man, it’s 12 already?” you yawned, your eyes flickering shut and then struggling to stay open.
Choso’s eyes widened, almost as if he remembered something. The smile on his face faded.
The weather wasn’t the only thing that was about to change on this fateful day. Something far more sinister lurked in the air.
He looked down at you once again, before opening his mouth to speak. “Hey … do you happen to live around here?”
The vibrato of his voice shook you awake. You gasped, another tiny yawn flying from your mouth. “Huh? Oh, yeah. My place is only 10 minutes away. Why?”
“And … your siblings?”
“ … My sister moved to Kyoto awhile back, but my brother lives a little bit closer to me— even if he is all the way in Chiyoda.” You chuckled, but your laughter was replaced by silence as you asked again, “why?”
“You should go see them while you still can, as soon as possible.”
Your eyes widened, before turning into a bewildered frown. You rubbed your eyes, blinking them at him. You murmured,
“What? I-I mean that’s nice and all, but that’s … rather sudden from you, Choso.”
He averted his gaze, still not responding to your previous question. A rush of nervousness flooded your gut. Your eyes remained glued to his face. They were wide awake now.
“What do you mean by ‘as soon as possible’?” you asked again.
Choso breathed out a sigh. “In a few hours from now, this city won’t be safe anymore. That’s why you should go.”
“What … What does that mean? You make it sound like some sort of disaster is about to hit Shibuya or something … “
No response. You gulped. “ … Hey, i-is there? Say something!”
Choso didn’t reply, at least not immediately. He let go of you, letting the cold surround you once more. You gasped–the air nipped at your face and hands, but all the heat built up from your hug shielded you from any icy bites.
“You should be warm enough now. I’ll be taking my leave. Goodbye,” he mumbled. He looked at you one final time, before turning to trudge off into the crowd. Choso didn’t even give you the smallest crumb of an answer. So many questions ran through your head. Too many. It made your stomach churn and head spin.
A single bead of sweat trickled down your temple, the air turning it cool against your skin. You swerved around, yelling after him, “W-Wait—! Hold on a second—!”
“Hm?” He stopped, glancing back at you.
“Choso …. What's going to happen? Help me understand you here— tell me what will happen to Shibuya?”
“If I told you, would you believe me?”
“Why shouldn’t I? You don't seem like the liar type! More like … the doom and gloom type.”
“Well … whatever. Even if I did tell you, you’d only regret becoming aware of the truth. Just take my word for it, and leave this place.”
“I-Its— it’s that … bad?”
“7PM. I think you’ve got until then,” he replied, ignoring your question again.
“ … You think?”
“Yes … I’m positive. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Hey— W-What about you? W-What about everyone in Shibuya?”
“I can look after myself just fine. As for all the other people, I don’t know about them, but … “ He looked back at you, his expression unchanging. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, too.”
“Can I … Uhm, t-tell people about this?”
“Sure. I’m not stopping you. It would take some convincing, though.
Is there anything else?”
“ … Y-Yeah, a boatload. It’s not every day that something horrible is going to hit your home,” you mumbled, “but I take it you won’t answer anymore questions … will you?”
“No. It’s for your own sake.”
Your heart sank. Choso was still keeping you in the dark. A potential threat loomed over Shibuya, and the whole city knew nothing of it. A frown almost shadowed your face, but you covered it up with a half-smile. You walked up to him, patting his shoulder.
“Okay– fine. I’ll, uh—I’ll let you go then, and … take some time to consider your warning.”
He nodded, glancing down at your hand. “Good. Try not to take too long, it could happen soon. Take care …my friend.” Choso patted the top of your head and smiled. “Take care of yourself and your siblings, alright? Continue to look out for each other.”
You gave a tired chuckle as he patted your head. “Will do,” you affirmed. “Do you think we will meet again?’
“I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t mind if we did.”
“Then it’s settled– we can meet here again another time.”
“ … Sounds good.”
“Great!” you grinned, before letting out another yawn, more drawn out than the last two. Sleep began to take its toll on your senses. “I should be off. I need time to rest … and to think. Goodnight, Choso. Don’t go off getting into trouble.”
He huffed, raising a brow. “I should be saying that to you.”
You chucked, and waved Choso off as you strolled down the river, heading home. He watched you walk, your form becoming smaller and smaller until it was out of sight. At that moment, the smile stuck to his face grew dim. “ … I can’t get distracted now.”
Choso trudged off and away in the opposite direction. He stared absentmindedly into the distance. The blood flowing through his veins began to boil and bubble with deep, seated rage. His eyes narrowed. His fists clenched. He lowered his head into his scarf as he whispered, “Eso. Kechizu. I hope you’re watching your big brother now. I swear to you two … I will make Itadori Yuji writhe in his own blood.”